This invention relates in a first aspect to an arrangement for permitting retraction of the foot pedal of a vehicle away from the driver in a crash situation, and whilst the device would normally be effective on the brake pedal the principles described could be applied to any other pedals (clutch pedal and the accelerator pedal), and in a second aspect to a vehicle incorporating such device.
Some proposals for such devices operate on the principle of displacing the pivot axes of the brake pedal, cf GB 2279625, EP 0757946, EP 0788931. Other proposals release the pedal pivot from, its support cf EP 085079. Yet other proposals are described in EP 0810124, EP 0827885, EP 0836968. In WO 97/06036, is described a proposal for bending the booster push rod to permit pedal retraction, but with whatever system or device is employed, a vital requirement is that the device can never interfere with the normal operation of the braking system.
A basic object of the invention is the provision of an improved arrangement for permitting vehicle foot pedal retraction, and a vehicle incorporating same.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an arrangement for permitting retraction of a vehicle foot pedal, operable on a push rod, in a frontal crash of sufficient magnitude characterized in that:
(i) the push rod is of low ductability material, having a zone of weakness;
(ii) a rotary member is attached to, and mounted on a blade of the pedal for free rotation about the pivot, by which rotary member the pedal is operationally coupled to the push rod; and
(iii) displacement means is provided to cause partial rotation of the rotary member upon a frontal impact of sufficient magnitude, to apply a bending moment to the push rod to snap the push rod at its zone of weakness, thereby disconnecting the push rod from the pedal to permit free pedal movement and hence to permit pedal retraction away from the feet of the driver.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor vehicle comprising an arrangement in accordance with the first aspect.
As the push rod is of relatively short length and is, in service, subjected only to compressive loadings there is no operational disadvantage in it being produced in a low grade, low ductability, material satisfactory for the intended duty. Consequently, when a relatively low level bending moment is applied to the push rod by the rotary member, the push rod readily snaps at its zone of weakness, and fracture of the push rod instantly de-couples the latter from the foot pedal, thereby freeing the foot pedal from the constraint on movement in the retraction direction away from the driver that is otherwise present due to the connections to the push rod, thereby permitting the pedal to be retracted, by rotation about its conventional pivot, away from the feet etc of the driver.
The push rod comprises a main length of a first diameter, and an integral, second length of reduced diameter, with the zone of weakness provided at the transition between the two diameters.
Both the main length, and the second length, are of circular section.
The rotary member has a through hole through which the reduced diameter length of the push rod may pass.
The through hole of the rotary member is a circular hole.
In a first embodiment, the rotary member is rotated, by positional displacement of a component mass (such as a front engine/transmission package that, in a frontal crash situation of sufficient magnitude is subject to relatively rearwards movement of sufficient distance.
In a second embodiment, the rotary member is rotated, in a frontal crash situation of sufficient magnitude, as a result of a component engaging the conventionally provided cross-vehicle beam.